Today's Opinions

The grief and shock from last week’s mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Fla., is shared in the collective American conscience. The feelings of sadness, disbelief, helplessness, even rage, are more than any human being should ever have to endure.

I have my orders placed for onion sets and seed potatoes along with some of my favorite summer crops that will be directly seeded in the garden once the temperatures really warm. I can barely stand the wait!

I have just seeded out several trays of early season vegetables that like a cool start to the season. Kale, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts are just beginning to push through the light potting mix.

It is that time of year again, and I am reminded because of the smell and road kill left behind. Plus, a strong scent of skunk has been lingering in the pasture this past week; and I got an Instagram video from my niece as she was clearly backing away from a lumbering black and white rodent down by the river!

As our state faces an increasing drug epidemic that is nearing crisis levels, we must take action. We must combat drug abuse on all fronts, including prevention, treatment, and enforcement. However, we must do so responsibly.

Meals on Wheels of Southwestern Indiana, a division of SWIRCA and More, is recruiting volunteer drivers to deliver meals to home bound senior citizens in the area. Drivers and substitutes are needed for four meal routes and will serve approximately 9 to 12 meals per route. Drivers are needed Monday through Thursday between the hours of 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

This week, President Trump announced his budget proposal for fiscal year 2019. We are dismayed to see that this administration is laying out a plan that sets a dangerous course for many low income and vulnerable Hoosiers.

Most devastating are the proposed cuts and structural changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Finding ways to combat youth gun violence needs a coming together of the minds, from politicians, the health sector and general public. It stems from a combination of problems: an anti-gun control preference in our nation that puts a high value on its Second Amendment rights, along with a mental-health issue that expounds from a cultural polarity that has put weapons in the mainstream and violence on a pedestal for impressionable youths.